Arrive in Morelia on a direct flight. You’ll be greeted and transferred to your lovely, centrally-located suite-hotel. Enjoy Mexican hot chocolate or other refreshments of your choosing, local-style, at the open-air portales located across from the Cathedral if flight times allow. This is a perfect setting for receiving your orientation to Michoacán.

Today you will transfer to Uruapan and the “Meseta Purepecha,” a singular region of Mexico, a high tropical plateau, where avocados and macadamia nuts grow. You will arrive and settle into your lovely garden setting hotel, Mancion del Cupatitzio, before heading out to the town of Angahuan, where you’ll meet community members who will lead you by horseback to the volcanic remains of Paricutin, a volcano that erupted and covered the region with lava, in the 1940s. (You can choose to walk instead of horseback). You’ll enjoy a lunch of regional cuisine. Returning to your hotel, you’ll visit the lovely tropical gardens of the Eduardo Ruiz National Park, before enjoying a festive dinner of the local trout, so famous in this region.

Today, you’ll visit the communities of Pomucuaran, Nurio, Cocucho, Zacan, and others, to see the incredible “Artesones”, restored temples in this region. Known as the “Ruta de Don Vasco”, you’ll learn about the work of Vasco de Quiroga and visit the “hospitals” (community centers) and temples erected in the 16th century to support the indigenous communities and Purépecha people. Learning skills that would last a lifetime, the Purépecha people today retain the legacy of Vasco de Quiroga, as we will see.  Returning to Uruapan, your evening is at leisure.

In the morning, transfer to Patzcuaro. En route, you will pay a visit to the local farmers who have been cultivating their marigold fields since May for the Day of the Dead celebrations. In this lakeside community, you can smell the lake air and the rich earth that combine to produce a bountiful harvest of marigolds. You’ll be invited to wander through the unending golden fields—an otherworldly experience!

When you arrive in Patzcuaro itself, you’ll be welcomed into your cozy B & B. Settle in for a three-night stay. The location could not possibly be better for imbibing the spirit of Day of the Dead. The flower market, a colorful hub of activity day and night leading up to the holiday, is right outside your front door. On a guided walking tour of Patzcuaro, visit the basilica, large and small town squares, and the House of Eleven Patios. The markets will be overflowing with Day of the Dead goodies, including food miniatures that locals buy for their family altars, and the dramatic, whimsical “Catrina” dolls—skeletons made of ceramic or wood and dressed in the highest of fashion. Evening at leisure.

After breakfast, you will travel to the lakeside ruins of the pre-Hispanic Purepecha empire in Tzintzuntzan. Little is known about the early Purepecha people, referred to as Tarascans by the Spanish, but it is believed that they are descendants of peoples from northwestern Mexico, known as the Chichimecas.

After visiting the present-day village and artisans of Tzintzuntzan, you’ll travel to the community of Santa Fe de la Laguna to learn about the work of Vasco de Quiroga with the Purepecha communities. We will enjoy a lunch of regional cuisine prepared by a local traditional cook. The rest of the evening is at your leisure, before your overnight at the B&B.

Rising before dawn, head out for an early morning boat journey across Lake Patzcuaro to the island community of Janitzio. Travel early in order to witness the Vigil of the Little Angels, where the souls of children who have died are visited. Following the return boat journey, the afternoon is free for you to stroll and shop in Patzcuaro, and to rest and relax for your nighttime departure to witness the all-night graveside vigils that take place in the communities surrounding Lake Patzcuaro. Here, you will undoubtedly further your understanding of the Mexican views about life and death.

On our final day in the Patzcuaro region,  will take a wonderful guided lakeside drive and tour to visit the artisan village of Santa Clara del Cobre, where the ancient tradition of hammered copper thrives to this day. In addition to viewing copper artisans create their craft, we will visit one more gravesite during the day to see how this village celebrates with food and music! Also, enjoy a “corunda” tamale-making workshop/demo and enjoy lunch of these regional delicacies.

Today you travel to the gentile and conservative city of Morelia, a colonial gem. You’ll make a couple of stops en route before arriving in Morelia where you’ll begin a City Walking tour. Morelia is a conservative city with deep traditions in higher education, music, and the arts. Highlights include The Government Palace and Alfredo Zalce Murals, Palace of Justice, Cathedral, Temple of the Roses, the former Aqueduct, and the outstanding House of Artesanias. Enjoy a fabulous farewell dinner at one of Morelia’s top-rated restaurants.

Say goodbye to Mexico. After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight home.